Archive for the Public Category

Just when you thought nobody was lookin’ libraries make the front page of the Denver Post! Although some of the “facts” quoted in the article weren’t strictly accurate (CO has 115 library jurisdictions, not 114), it was generally an informative, favorable piece about Colorado libraries.

In 2006, Colorado had 1,420 school libraries staffed by 1,652 FTE staff–817 of them endorsed school librarians. Collections included nearly 14 million print books and a total circulation of 36 million. School libraries had 14.8 million individual visits and 1.5 million group visits, underscoring the library as a place for students to study, conduct research, meet with each other, and, most importantly, learn information literacy.[1]

Sixty-two percent of college students said they would choose an electronic textbook over a new print textbook, according to a new study by Versaware.[2]

15 states (alas, not Colorado) had ‘Sales Tax Holidays’ during the month of August – periods of time with no sales tax on certain school-related items.[3]

“We expect more than 53 million students to be enrolled in the nation’s elementary and high schools this fall, and that’s even higher than the total enrollment in 1969 when the last of the baby boomers were still in school,” says Robert Bernstein of the U.S. Census Bureau.[4]

The US produced 10 billion pounds of apples in 2006. The chances are good that the apples your children present to their teachers or enjoy for lunch were grown in Washington state, which accounted for more than half of the nation’s total production.[5]

Average annual 2005 earnings of workers 18 and older with an advanced degree was $79,946. This compares with $54,689 a year for those with bachelor’s degrees, $29,448 for those with a high school diploma only and $19,915 for those without a high school diploma.[6]

13.6 million computers are available for classroom use in the nation’s 111,000 elementary and secondary schools; that comes down to 1 computer for every 4 students.[7]

The average cost before financial aid for one year of a full-time master’s degree education at a public institution in 2003-04 was $21,900 (includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, and other living expenses).[8]

The average cumulative amount borrowed for a master’s degree for those graduating in 2003-04 was $27,200.[9]

Back-to-school spending is estimated reach $17.6 billion, up from a poor showing of $13.4 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2006 Back-to-School Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. Average back-to-school spending by category and family for primary and secondary school age children: [10]

Librarians who work with Spanish-speaking populations may be interested in two recent Field Initiated Studies entitled, Colorado Latinos and Information: Key Informant Interviews with Latino Organizations and Information-Seeking Behaviors of Spanish-Speaking Populations: An Annotated Bibliography.
These Field Initiated Studies are the result of a Service Learning Project completed by Catherine L. Meis, a graduate student at the University of Denver’s Library and Information Science program. The end goal of this study was to help AskColorado assess potential Spanish use of the AskColorado Spanish queue.

For more information, you may click on the above links or see our Field Initiated Studies section for more information.

ALA announced this week that the 2007 edition of the “ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian – Public and Academic” and “ALA-APA Salary Survey: Non-MLS – Public and Academic” are now available. Published by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), the survey reports the median salary for librarians is up 2.8 percent to $57,809 in 2007.

Do you want to know where library jobs are? Now you can see them on the map.

As the next step in its evolution, LibraryJobline.org now offers maps showing the location of current library job openings in Colorado and elsewhere. There are three ways to access the maps:

• Check out the locations of all current job openings at http://www.LibraryJobline.org/map.php,
• Search LibraryJobline.org at http://www.LibraryJobline.org/search.php and view a map of positions that meet your search parameters, or
• Login to MyJobline ( http://www.LibraryJobline.org/mylogin.php) and view a map of positions that fit your personal criteria

The study, ” Creating & Connecting: Research and Guidelines on Online Social – and Educational – Networking” looks at the usage of social networking by 9 to 17-year olds. Three groups were surveyed for the study: tweens and teens (9 to 17-year olds), parents, and school district leaders.

From the report…
* 59% of online students say they talk about education related topics
* 50% of online students say they talk specifically about schoolwork
* Less than 1% of all students say they’ve actually met someone in person from an online encounter without their parents’ permission
* 84% of school districts have rules against online chatting and 81% against instant messaging in school

Sections of the report include The Positives, The Gaps, Expectations & Interests, and Striking a Balance-Guidance & Recommendations for School Board Members. The study was conducted by Grunwald Associates and underwritten by News Corporation, Microsoft and Verizon.

Colorado public libraries’ historical circulation data is included in a recent study that is making the rounds on blogs, listservs, and email lists. Written by economist Douglas A. Galbi, “ Book Circulation Per U.S. Public Library User Since 1856,” is an analysis of library circulation trends from various sources going back over 150 years. Included in the analysis is Colorado library circulation data from 1920 through 2000, which appears in an LRS Fast Fact from 2003, “ Colorado Public Libraries Historical Data” written by Becky Russell.

The 2006 Metro Report is now available. The Metro Report consists of tables and charts of statistics from selected public libraries in metropolitan areas with operating expenditures greater than $1 million.

Public library directors report increased circulation, program attendance, and computer use, says a recent article in the Boston Globe. “Area directors say they have also seen growth in ways not measured by circulation, like use of public computers and attendance at library programs. “We’re busier than ever,” said Beth Mazin, assistant director of Andover’s Memorial Hall Library. “Our library is jammed with people.”

For more on this story go the Boston Globe online at:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/?p1=Header_BostonGlobe

Or the article at:
Good circulation…Internet helps libraries, despite predictions it would spell the end
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/29/good_circulation/